The present invention relates to a portable terminal with an IC card mounted thereon, a management unit for managing the portable terminal and an IC card management method, or in particular to a portable terminal suitably used for a passenger ticket system or the like and a management unit and an IC card management method therefor.
A system in which an IC card can be used as a passenger ticket for means of transportation has been proposed. A portable terminal with an IC card used as a tag is an example. This portable terminal comprises a main antenna for external radio communication and an IC card antenna whereby the IC card conducts external radio communication. The user of this portable terminal who wants to use a transportation means operated on this system issues a request to the site of, for example, a railway company by communication from the main antenna. Then, the electronic information on a passenger ticket, a coupon ticket or a commuter pass is transmitted to and received by the portable terminal through the main antenna and stored in the IC card. The user taking a train presents the portable terminal carrying the IC card to the ticket gate. The electronic information stored in the IC card is read out and transmitted from the IC card antenna to the ticket gate. The ticket gate, upon receipt of the electronic information, permits the particular user to pass through the gate. An example of such a ticket system is shown in JP-A-2002-247157.
As another example, a system has been proposed in which the value information is stored in an IC card whereby the fare can be paid. Such a ticket system is shown in JP-A-2002-329176.
In this system, the user applies the IC card having stored therein the value information (amount information) through an automatic ticket gate machine (“ticket checking machine”) which retrieves the ID information of the IC card at the station where he/she takes a train (“boarding station”). When the IC card is applied through the ticket checking machine at the station he/she gets off (“exit station”), on the other hand, the ticket checking machine retrieves the value information as well as the ID information. From the boarding station and the exit station recognized by the IC card from the ID information retrieved by the ticket checking machines at the boarding station and the exit station, the IC card management system calculates the railway fare and withdraws the value corresponding to the railway fare from the IC card.
This IC card is registered in the IC card management system, and the SF (stored-fare) value can be increased or the validity period of the commuter pass can be automatically renewed in the IC card. The SF value in the IC card is increased according to a rule. In the case where the outstanding value decreases to 300 yen or less, for example, the SF value is automatically increased by 1000 yen. According to this rule, the IC card management system increases the SF value of a given IC card as requested to avoid insufficient outstanding SF value of the IC card.